Agricultural Produce (Potatoes) Act, 1931

Time and manner of payment of inspection fees.

10.—(1) As soon as may be after the expiration of every account period the Minister shall ascertain in the prescribed manner the amount (if any) due for inspection fees by every licensed exporter in respect of potatoes submitted by such exporter to an inspector for examination by such inspector under this Act during such period and shall issue a certificate (in this section referred to as a certificate of indebtedness) in the prescribed form certifying the amount due by such licensed exporter for inspection fees in respect of such account period.

(2) Every certificate of indebtedness shall be conclusive evidence of all matters purported to be certified therein.

(3) As soon as may be after the issue of each certificate of indebtedness, a copy thereof shall be served by post on the licensed exporter whose indebtedness for inspection fees is certified by such certificate and immediately upon such service the amount certified to be payable by such certificate shall become and be due and payable by such licensed exporter to the Minister, and after the expiration of four weeks from such service shall be recoverable by the Minister as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(4) If a licensed exporter fails or neglects to pay the amount certified by a certificate of indebtedness to be payable by him within four weeks after the service of a copy of such certificate on him, the Minister may revoke such licensed exporter's licence, but such revocation shall not relieve such licensed exporter from liability to pay the said amount.

(5) Where an exporter's licence is revoked under the foregoing sub-section, the registration in the register of potato packing premises of the premises of which he is the registered proprietor shall, by virtue of this sub-section, be cancelled as from the date upon which the revocation of such licence took place, and such premises shall not be again registered in the said register so long as the amount or any part of the amount the non-payment of which occasioned such revocation remains unpaid.

(6) For the purposes of this section each of the following periods shall be an account period, that is to say:—

(a) every period of three months commencing on any 1st day of January;

(b) every period of three months commencing on any 1st day of April;

(c) every period of six months commencing on any 1st day of July.